


Pairing Up the Third Wheel

by Eristastic



Series: SouKisu University AU [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, sort of Drunken Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 01:55:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4041235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eristastic/pseuds/Eristastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You just needed to take one look at those two to see it - obviously someone had to do something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pairing Up the Third Wheel

**Author's Note:**

> I worry I write Sousuke and Rin's friendship as too antagonistic, but that's really not my intention. They're besties, honest.

“What do you _mean_ we’re going out?”

“I mean we’re going out: I can’t make it much clearer than that.” Sousuke continued doing up his shoes, coolly impervious to Rin’s exasperated death glare. “You’ve been stressed all week, it’s a Friday night: I got a reservation for four at that small Italian place we went to a couple of months back. You liked it, remember?”

“Yeah, it was cool,” Rin let himself be distracted by happy memories of pasta before regaining steam. “But wait, why four? And why didn’t you tell me anything about this?! I can’t just drop everything – I had a schedule set up for tonight!”

“I knew you’d just say no if I didn’t spring it on you. And besides, your schedule probably just consisted of playing the same song over and over for hours. You’re never going to get the combo, so one evening out shouldn’t matter. Come on, get ready – we’re going to be late.”

“It’s a difficult song so you can shut up,” Rin muttered, but (with many a dirty look that bounced off Sousuke’s placid stare) pushed himself off the sofa to go and find his coat.

 

The restaurant was comfortably quiet when they got there, with only two of the seven tables occupied. A waft of warmth carrying the smell of breadsticks and pasta sauce flooded around them as they walked into the seating area and greeted a waiter who showed them to a table. It didn’t slip by Rin that Sousuke very deliberately angled him so they’d sit on opposite sides.

“The others’ll be here soon,” Sousuke said pleasantly and Rin nodded absent-mindedly, eyes wandering over the (presumably empty) vintage wine bottles hanging on the walls next to shelves lined with decorative jars of dried pasta.

“Yeah – who’s coming, exactly? Obviously Kisumi, but who’s the fourth? You’re not just making them up to force me into being a third wheel again, are you?”

“Look, the karaoke incident was a mistake and everyone involved regrets it.”

“I’m just saying, I was in the bathroom for two minutes: you _knew_ I was coming back, how the hell did you think you’d have enough time to-”

“Heya!” Kisumi strode through the door in a flurry of designer jacket and skinny jeans, drawing Sousuke into a kiss before sitting down and nuzzling into his shoulder happily. “What’s with the long face, Rin?”

“Natural reaction to seeing you two, I’ll try and keep it under control.”

Kisumi pouted. “Wow, you’re _sour_ tonight. You’re not still hooked up on the karao-”

Sousuke put an arm on his shoulder hastily. “Let’s not go there. Say, you didn’t see anyone hanging around this place nervously, did you? I’m not sure if the other guy knows where to go.”

“Hmm…there was this one guy who came on the same bus as me and seemed to be coming this way. Total hunk of a man, looks like he could break a million hearts with a single smile?”

“That’s the one.”

Rin frowned. “Hey, you didn’t…”

Sousuke looked at him mildly. “Oh, didn’t I tell you this was a double date? Makoto should be here any second.”

Rin’s reaction was really quite astounding, reminiscent of a fish gaping frantically if said fish had the ability to emit rather alarming rasping sounds. Sousuke didn’t get enough time to admire it fully, however, as Makoto came in through the door wearing a sunny smile and an aura of untarnished innocence.

“I’m so glad I found you guys!”

“Glad you could make it. Take a seat.”

Makoto hung up his coat and, without so much batting an eyelid, sat next to Rin. Sousuke gestured to Kisumi (a little awkwardly, seeing as Kisumi was still somewhat attached to his arm, but he did his best). “This is the boyfriend I was telling you about, Kisumi. Kisumi, this is Makoto, one of Rin and my old friends from school.”

The two men smiled and greeted each other cheerily, completely oblivious to the way Rin seemed to be trying not to choke on air, fidgeting like mad as his eyes flickered between gazing to his side just a _little_ too obviously and glaring at Sousuke.

Sousuke smirked and signalled to the waiter.

 

Dinner went surprisingly well, all things considered. The ambiance was set nicely with the faint sound of old Italian ballads waltzing through the restaurant; after spending an inappropriately long time trying to decide between two dishes, Kisumi was eventually placated when Sousuke agreed to have one so they could share; and it only took Rin ten minutes to calm down enough to talk to Makoto normally (a personal record). The problems really started around dessert, when Kisumi (who’d admittedly had a bit too much to drink) insisted on being spoon-fed tiramisu by his boyfriend. So it was that Rin and Makoto, trying valiantly to appear casual, did everything in their power to avoid looking at the sickening display across from them. Rin hadn’t even known Sousuke _could_ smile so fondly.

As it was, he eventually caught Makoto’s gaze and, with some increasingly inventive facial miming and subtle hand gestures, they agreed to leave.

“Oi, Sou. Makoto and I are going to head out first – is that cool? I’ll pay you back tomorrow morning, yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah. Have fun.” Sousuke gave him a knowing glance.

Rin shot him the finger (affectionately) as they left.

 

Outside, the streets of the residential district were mostly empty and the wind had begun to pick up. Makoto shivered and scrunched his eyes together when a particularly large gust of wind hit them, so, steeling himself, Rin took his hand and led him to a better sheltered street despite his legs feeling like they’d lost all muscle power. They walked in silence for a minute or two, still holding hands, each second an agony of ‘please don’t let go and laugh it off _please don’t let go and laugh it off’_ for Rin.

“The atmosphere was getting kind of heavy in there, wasn’t it?” Makoto said.

“I’d have used a different word, but sure, let’s go with that.” Rin was rewarded with a bubbly laugh that seemed to make his heart light up like a bolt of warmth.

“But still…” Makoto smiled that peaceful little smile usually reserved for when he was stroking kittens. “I’m glad I got to see you tonight.” He squeezed Rin’s hand.

Everything seemed to slow down, the darkness and windy weather forgotten, and it was a miracle Rin could even get enough of a control on his mind to say, “Y-yeah, you too.” If, as he suspected, the heartbeats pounding in his ears were deafening enough for anyone else to hear, Makoto politely ignored them.

“It’s been a long time, though I guess we can’t really do anything about the distance. And texting and emails are great, but seeing you face to face is really…” he trailed off, looking down the lamp-lit street. “I’m just happy Sousuke called me out, I guess. Living with Haru’s kind of a whirlwind, but I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to meet up even if it weren’t…”

They stopped walking, neither looking at the other.

“Why wouldn’t you have had the courage?” It was a leap of faith, Rin knew that. He didn’t have a great track record with them, but something about the situation just felt right, so it slipped out before he could stop it.

“Can I be honest?”

“Yeah. Always.”

Makoto laughed softly. “I suppose Kisumi wasn’t the only one who drank too much, or else I’d never…You know…I….”

Rin waited, adrenaline grasping him from all sides as he tried his level best to breathe properly.

“I just…I wouldn’t have had the courage, because I’d be scared you’d reject me.”

‘ _I wouldn’t, there’s no chance in hell I’d do that!_ ’ Rin wanted to shout back, but he couldn’t let himself shatter the delicacy and quiet that protected them from invading thoughts of ‘never mind, this was just stupid’. He contented himself with moving closer until he could lean on Makoto’s shoulder.

“And I didn’t want you to reject me, well, I mean, for obvious reasons, but also just because I like you. A lot. So it’s a bit difficult, really. I want to be with you, but it’s difficult to talk to you without feeling flighty and light-headed and…I just didn’t want you to reject me.”

“I like you too,” Rin blurted out all in one breath.

“That’s good…” Makoto laughed again, but this time it was filled with relief, and Rin thought it was the most beautiful of his laughs yet.

**Author's Note:**

> I multi-ship a lot, so although I'm having so much fun with SouKisu and I'd like to do more for this AU later, the next one's probably going to be SouRin.


End file.
